


The Name of the Game is Love

by notebookthief



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, also probably more characters to be added later, and the rating may go up but only up to teen because hinata is ace B), but oihina has like nothing so i needed to do something u feel, hi this is really lame, kinda dumb
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-11 03:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 13,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3311486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notebookthief/pseuds/notebookthief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oikawa Tooru did not expect to be as taken by Hinata Shouyou as he is. He can't say he regrets it.<br/>Or, Oikawa is a massive dork and Hinata is oblivious to everything, including himself.<br/>Edit: discontinued</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Oikawa’s first meeting with Hinata probably could have gone better, he thinks. Showing up late to the game, completely missing his spike and then poking fun at his team is not really the best impression he could have left on the small player.

But Oikawa is annoyed, and a little smug, and far too focused on Kageyama at the time. Being face-to-face with him made his blood boil in competition and loathing. He could not hold back around him - he wanted to crush him. He was focused almost exclusively on him. 

He was only fully distracted from his mission when Hinata, or #10 to him at the time, burst up above the net in a flurry of orange and black and slammed the ball straight past him. 

He couldn’t move. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. That tiny body hovering in the air for only a second was all he could see - it took him another half of one to turn and look at the ball. He could vaguely hear the shortie whooping in victory as he straightened, but it was not something he cared to listen to. He could still feel those intense, wide eyes boring straight into him. 

But his teams awaits and he had done his part in what short time he had on the court, so he doesn’t dwell on it. He tries not to think about it again when he confronts them outside the school walls, where Hinata stands behind the bald spiker (whatever his name is, Oikawa doesn’t care), and all he allows himself to think is “adorable” before pulling the brakes on that train of thought. 

Taunting Kageyama comes naturally, and he uses it to forget. Forget the brown eyes and swift, brutal attack, the sweat sliding down his skin, the fluffy orange hair surrounding his head like a halo. Forget the ball rushing past him, the inability to breathe, the fascination. Forget, forget, forget. 

He can’t forget later, alone in his room, trying to analyze what little gameplay he saw and always, always being brought back to the player with the orange hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok im so sorry this is totally unedited (as is all my work apparently) and the first fic ive posted in at least a year maybe two but hey at least it's something right??


	2. Chapter 2

They next meet at the Inter-High, but Oikawa is watching him long before their first match. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the small boy with the wild, untamed spike since their first encounter, and now that he can finally see him he’s torn between just gawking or analyzing every move he makes. He hangs over the railing and stares.

“Oi, Assikawa. Stop staring. It’s creepy.” 

Oikawa turns to his best friend with a pout. “But Iwa-chaann, it’s fun to look down on them.” 

Iwaizumi flicks him on the forehead, and Oikawa flinches a little and squeaks. “I don’t care. It’s one thing to watch them play, but staring at them when they’re just warming up is weird.” 

Oikawa continues to pout but doesn’t deny his claims. He is being weird. He can’t offer up excuses this time (not like the time he snuck into Karasuno to watch their practice). And yet he continues to stare, as if Hinata is physically drawing his eyes in with his shine. 

They are only able to watch one game. Oikawa manages to restrain himself from only looking at Hinata during it, but he does watch him. 

He watches and watches until he’s sure Hinata is burned into his mind, watches until his fingers itch to touch, watches until he’s sure the other boy has noticed and then some. 

His team watches them play until it’s their turn to warm up. He knows Iwaizumi has noticed his wavering gaze, but he doesn’t mention it - there’s no need for extra tension right before a match. 

They win, of course, and Oikawa finds it easier to focus when he’s actually playing. The smack of the ball on his palm is an easy distraction from the thought of smaller ones on a similar ball, spiking it passed blockers twice his size. Despite it being their connection, volleyball allows him to momentarily forget and focus on his team, his goals, the way the ball feels in his hands. 

Forgetting does not come easily on the second day, when they meet face to face on the court. The weight of the ball in his palm is not enough to distract him (and if he wants to win this he has to play at full capacity, or Karasuno will tear them to shreds), and he needs something else to anchor the itch in his fingers, in his eyes, in the way the corner of his mouth curls up. 

He focuses on Kageyama. It’s not hard - he is Oikawa’s second rival, after Ushijima. He lets his competitiveness overwhelm him. Keeps his watchful gaze on Hinata to a minimum. Don’t think about anything other than game. 

He succeeds. The match is harder won than he expected, and he pushes away his dejected feelings of _am I getting weaker? Am I going to be surpassed?_ for feelings of victory, the way his teammates wrap their arms around his shoulders, the cooling sweat on his skin. He doesn’t think to watch Karasuno fall to their knees in defeat, doesn’t think to watch Hinata stare into blank space, and when he does later, alone in his room after the obligatory victory meal, he is glad that he didn’t. His blood is singing with victory, with pride - it feels like there are sparklers beneath his skin, exploding with energy and life. 

The next day they are crushed by Shiratorizawa. He wonders, briefly, if this is what Hinata felt. He drowns himself in his thoughts - Hinata’s scorching light diverts his attention from the shadow of failure that has enveloped him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter? this quickly? shocking! but i just couldn't stop. this chapter is kinda sad i guess and there is nO development im sorry oikawa has 0 initiative i swear next chapter he'll do something instead of just think  
> anyway y eah! another lame chapter. unedited. well mostly unedited. im sorry. take it pls  
> also!! tysm for the comments and kudos!! i was surprised by the positive reaction that came in from only one night!! you guys are awesome!! if you have any tips on how to improve my writing or u just wanna discuss headcanons/ideas, my tumblr url is bokutx, hmu!!


	3. Chapter 3

It is Oikawa’s second time sneaking into Karasuno’s practice, a few weeks after the Inter High. He is not under the guise of studying them this time (though he’ll say that if approached by the members) - his knee is bothering him and he has been ordered away from practice.

He hates it. He’s itching to handle the ball. After his team’s defeat at the hands of Shiratorizawa, he’s been overworking himself and has been all around irritable. What better way to calm down than to indulge himself? 

Except Hinata doesn’t seem to be doing so well either. He and Kageyama aren’t talking, and he’s tense - there is a frustrated look on his face that Oikawa has never seen before, not even during games. He’s chewing on his lip so hard Oikawa thinks it might split skin, and despite working with the refreshing guy, he doesn’t seem to be relaxing. In fact, the longer Oikawa watches, the more wound up he gets. He wonders if this really is the same guy who got scared going to the bathroom and beamed at every spike he was able to get. Now, instead of shining happiness, he looks ready to tear everything down in scorching fire. 

Oikawa can’t bring himself to approach him. Hinata does not look to be in the most receiving mood right now, and Oikawa wants to leave a better impression this time around. He goes to leave just before they seem to be finishing up. He’s stopped on his way out of the school. 

Mr. Refreshing (what was his name again? Souga-something?) calls out to him in a polite manner, and there is still sweat on his skin, though he’s changed into his school uniform. Oikawa briefly thinks he should have left more briskly. 

He takes a moment to catch his breathe. Oikawa waits, a gentle (fake) smile gracing his face. “Is there something you need?” he asks, all pleasantry hiding annoyance. 

“I could say the same to you,” he replies easily, teasingly, not seeming the least bit perturbed. Oikawa’s smile dips momentarily. 

“If you’re going to keep coming to our practices,” he continues, “you should at least make the effort to talk to him.” 

Oikawa stares at him for a beat before laughing. “I’m not here for anyone in particular. You were hard to beat last game, I just wanted to see if I could prepare for the next time. Flattering, don’t you think?” He’s lying through his teeth, and he has a feeling Mr. Refreshing can tell. 

He’s more sure of it when the boy’s smile becomes more of a half-smirk. “Even so, Hinata won’t realize anything if you don’t tell him.” And Oikawa outright jerks back at that, because he hadn’t known that the other was quite so perceptive. Had he been that obvious? 

He scoffs. “I don’t know what you’re -” 

But he’s fixed with a stare that makes him think better of his words, and it’s been the first time that’s happened other than the times with Iwaizumi. He closes his mouth. 

The silver-haired boy smiles pleasantly again. “I hope for your sake that you don’t take advantage of him, Oikawa-san.” There is no hint of a threat in his voice - he says it as if noting how he hoped it wouldn’t rain. Oikawa sucks in a breath. 

His teammates are calling to him. A glance reveals that so far it’s only the captain and the bald wing spiker - he still has time to escape before anyone he really doesn’t want to deal with comes along. He walks away before he can be told anything more, rubbing his face to clear his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another update! i'm so fast haha. i'm having fun writing this!  
> i am so sorry though Oikawa is a wimp and takes no initiative. soon, i promise!  
> i'm not really sure where exactly i'm going with this, since it's more for fun, but they should hook up soon? i'm not entirely sure how to hook them up, so if you have any suggestions or things you'd like to see, hmu on my blog!


	4. Chapter 4

“Iwa-chan.” 

Iwaizumi does not waver in his studying. Oikawa narrows his eyes and puffs his cheeks. He tries again. 

“I-wa-chan.” 

His eyebrow twitches. 

“IIIIII-waaaaaa” 

“What do you _want_ , Jesus Christ, Oikawa, I’m studying.” 

Oikawa almost grins in triumph, but he’s supposed to be melancholy, so he resists. “I have a problem.” 

Iwaizumi snorts. “Of course you do.” 

Oikawa pouts at him and buries his head in his arms where they rest in the table. He doesn’t reply at all. After a good five seconds, Iwaizumi sighs and closes his textbook. 

“Well, what is it.” 

He perks up a bit. “It’s a sensitive subject, Iwa-chan, I can’t just tell you. It requires tact, something you don’t seem to have.” 

Iwaizumi glares at him and he rolls his eyes, heaving a big sigh. “Fine then. Do you know #10 from Karasuno?” 

Iwaizumi’s face relaxes a bit. “The short middle blocker? Yeah.” 

Oikawa looks to the side and heaves another sigh. A few seconds pass. 

“Oikawa.” 

“Hmph.” 

“ _Oikawa_.” 

“Feh.” 

“Oikawa, I swear to god-” 

He huffs. “Ugh. Okay, fine, I think I - I think I might -” He takes a deep breath. “I think I might like him.” 

Iwaizumi stares at him. “What.” 

Oikawa pouts and buries his head again. “I _said_ , I think I might like him. In a sort of. Crush way. Like, romantically. I guess.” 

Iwaizumi continues to stare, and Oikawa is about to snap indignantly at him, but he jumps in first. “One, you’re an idiot. Two, is that it?” 

Oikawa staightens quickly. “What do you mean, ‘is that it’? This is serious, Iwa-chan! He’s our rival! And it’s affecting me! Do you even realize how cute he his? It’s so hard to constantly think about it!” He pouts even more now, his cheeks puffing out again. 

“Only you could find a problem with liking someone cute.” 

“But what if he’s mean like you, Iwa-chan? What if he’s not interested in boys? What if our competitive natures get in the way of our tragic love?” 

Iwaizumi groans. “Have you even _talked_ to him?” 

Oikawa freezes for a moment before sheepishly looking away. Iwaizumi gives him a deadpan look before pulling out his cell phone. 

“What are you doing?” It comes out more like a statement, and he looks at his friend with confusion. 

“Texting Kageyama.” 

“Why do you have Tobio-chan’s number.” 

“Middle school, since you refused to take it like a captain should.” 

He winces, but he doesn’t really regret it - just the tone of Iwaizumi’s voice. “Wait, why are you texting him. _Iwa-chan, why are you texting him_.” 

“I’m seeing if they’d be open to a practice match.” 

“I don’t want a practice match.” 

“You want to see #10 and the only excuse you have right now is a practice match, unless you intend to keep sneaking to their practices every monday.” 

Oikawa whines in the back of his throat. “Iwa-chan, don’t do this. You’re better than this, right?” 

“Too late. He already said they’d be up for it. I’ll ask coach after school.” 

“Iwa-chaaaaaan.” 

“Shut up! I’m doing this for your stupid love life anyway!” 

“I know, but do you have to be so mean about it? Besides, I can’t just keep playing against him, I need to talk to him at some point!” 

Iwaizumi hums. “You actually stated a valid point, for once.” 

“Iwa-chan! How cruel!” 

He rolls his eyes. “Just compliment him on his spike or something. In a non-antagonistic way, if that’s even possible for you.” 

He groans. “So mean.” 

He gets a light slap upside the head and hears books open as Iwaizumi goes back to studying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new character! hi Iwaizumi. and yet, Oikawa still doesn't talk to Hinata ;-; hopefully I characterized everyone right? (i think i put in way to many iwa-chan's...)  
> I promise promise promise that they will next chapter! mostly because it's already written!  
> thank you guys for the comments and kudos!! it means a lot. hmu up on my blog if you have any suggestions/tips/anything you'd like to say! (i think i put the url in the first chapter?)


	5. Chapter 5

The match does not go quite as smoothly as Oikawa would have liked. Karasuno has improved, for sure, and he’s not taking this as seriously as he probably should, and he is way too distracted by Hinata’s thighs. He has never loved and hated volleyball uniforms more.

I mean, really, there is no way they should look that good - with muscle starting to build up and the tiniest coating of baby fat still left to softened everything, he can’t help but stare. It’s not like Hinata helps, with his constant running around, does he even _know_ \- 

“Oikawa!” 

He receives the ball sloppily, but it’s in the air. “Watari! Cover!” 

They’re able to put it over, but a rally starts, and Karasuno gets the point. This continues throughout the game - though it’s not like Oikawa plays badly, per se, he’s just not playing his best. His slips are not like Karasuno’s, where they miss entirely - his are small, barely noticeable nudges and touches, barely off at all, but still there. But he can’t get Hinata fully out of his head, because honestly what is he supposed to say to him? ‘I’m sorry my team beat you and I taunted you would you like to go out with me?’ 

They win the game, 2-1, but it’s very close, and while Oikawa knows he wasn’t playing his best today he’s still a little unnerved by it. He’s slightly more unnerved, however, when the two teams are told to go off for individual practice. Together. 

He stands there gawking a bit, then whips his head to Iwaizumi, who gives him a pointed look, and OIkawa _knows_ that he set this up. But he’s not one to let an opportunity pass him by, so he steels himself and walks up to Hinata, fiddling with his hands a bit and ignoring confused stares from both teams. 

He smiles down at the first year, and he never really realized just how much shorter Hinata was until he was right in front of him. “Hi, Chibi-chan. Would you like some help with your serves?” 

He internally winces. That sounds passive aggressive, sounds like he’s babying the poor guy, and that’s not his intention at all. He can see Hinata tearing himself apart - wanting to refuse but wanting the help, and eventually he nods. “But my name’s not chibi-chan,” he says immediately after the action. “It’s Hinata Shouyou.” 

He says it like he doesn’t want Oikawa to forget, and he won’t. “Sure thing, Hina-chan~!” 

Hinata still doesn’t seem pleased by that, even though Oikawa is holding back from using his first name, but he does accept it. 

Oikawa is, fortunately, good at putting up a front. He’s sick to his stomach with anxiety as he helps Hinata, aware of the confused and angry stares on him at all times, waiting for him to do something wrong; he maintains a gentle smile the whole way through and doesn’t stutter once. He teaches him a basic overhand toss (Hinata is nowhere near capable enough to do any other special kind, he really just needs to get the ball in play), and Hinata is eager to learn. It doesn’t take him too long to be comfortable (Oikawa is jealous; his hands are slightly sweaty and he hopes Hinata thinks its from playing), and he allows Oikawa to physically move him into place. He takes instruction fine, but he learns better by watching, so they serve together, and Oikawa corrects him when he needs it. He quickly gets it down to near-perfect, and at that point only practice will make it better and there are no more pointers to give. 

They work on receives after that, Oikawa serving to him at a more normal rate (nothing like his jump serve, though he wants to practice that for himself too), and that goes on for a while until Hinata is bored and tired and flops on the ground. He’s about to suggest they part ways (reluctantly) when Hinata says, “Could you toss to me?” 

Oikawa’s blood runs cold, his stomach twists, he can’t breathe, he doesn’t even know why (is he excited? is he thrilled that he will be able to toss to Kageyama’s spiker, the one he favors above all? is he anxious, because he they are on different teams, is this a betrayal to his own spikers?), his fingers twitch on the ball - 

“Sure, Hina-chan, I’d love to.” 

Hinata jumps up with newfound energy and Oikawa is nearly blinded. His enthusiasm radiates off of him, and as he gives himself a little fist pump Oikawa finds it hard to be near him. He’s too bright, too hot, and Oikawa is going to be sucked in. 

He tosses for him. 

The first couple are misses. Hinata is faster than he thought, and higher, but after the first three he has a basic one down for him. Hinata has a hard time hitting it well (Oikawa discovers that he is not a versatile spiker, but that isn’t news to him), but he is hitting it, and the balls are landing with satisfying thuds. 

Oikawa likes tossing to him. Hinata doesn’t complain, not once, but it is easy to tell if he likes a toss or not - when it’s hard to hit he wrinkles his nose and bites the inside of his cheek and calls out for another as if to say _I’ll get it right this time_. When he hits the right toss, he gleams, and stares at his palm a bit, and yells ‘one more!’ because he absolutely must hit that toss again. Oikawa loves it. 

He also finds it refreshing. Hinata’s style is unique and raw, and he is very used to his teammates, particularly Iwaizumi. He is used to that stability and calculated perfection that brings out refined power - he loves the newness Hinata brings, the way he draws him in, and for a moment he wonders if he could ever stop tossing to him now that he’s started. 

That end comes sooner than he wants it to. “Hinata, it’s time to go! Come get changed!” 

Hinata blinks at his team, as if realizing for the first time that they were there. The captain is calling him, and Oikawa feels a little resentment towards him for interrupting them. Hinata beams though, and calls a quick “Osu!” before turning back to Oikawa. 

“You’re not as scary as I thought,” he says bluntly, happily. He bows quickly, smiling cheerily. “Thank you for teaching me!” 

Oikawa doesn’t want this to be a senpai-kouhai thing. He doesn’t like the look of Hinata bowing in front of him. “It’s not problem, it helped me too,” he said, which is a half-lie because only setting for him really did him any good. “Oh! Hina-chan, wait a sec.” 

Hinata stands in confusion as Oikawa rushes over to his bag, pulls out a pen, and jogs back. He uncaps it and scribbles his number on Hinata’s palm, which is likely the most forward thing he’s done all day, and he can feel himself blushing a little bit. “Text me if you ever want to practice. Or,” and here he drops his voice a little, and his eyelids sink, and he takes on the expression he does when he’s trying to seduce girls, “if you wanted to do any other extra-curricular activities. Text me anytime, Hina-chan.” 

He wants to stroke his cheek. He wants to hug him. He wants to run his hands through his fluffy, orange locks, wants to press their foreheads together, rub their noses, kiss - 

Hinata stares at his palm (just like when he hits a particularly good spike, Oikawa thinks) before beaming up at Oikawa, and he swears that the smaller boy sparkles. “Osu!” he yells, jumping up and for a moment Oikawa is looking dead-on into his amber eyes, alight with glee, before Hinata falls again. And then he runs off, and Oikawa can hear the distant yelling of “Yamaguchi, look! The Grand King gave me his number! He tossed to me! The Grand King tossed to me!” but he’s too absorbed in trying to make sure his face isn’t as red as he thinks it is. 

Iwaizumi comes up behind him and claps him on the back. “You look like a tomato,” he says, and his voice holds a hint of pride and laughter. Oikawa sinks to the ground and buries his face in his knees, trying to quell the burning on his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry, i can't write hinata.... also i realize i posted this like 30 minutes after the last chapter, but i was excited and also i wanted my friend to read it so :B  
> ok!! yes!! they interacted!! oikawa is a total dork!! great!! i should do a chapter from hinata's perspective at some point, but i have no idea how. so we're probably gonna stick with oikawa. um.  
> yeah!! let me know what you think!! once again, thank you for the comments and kudos!!! hmu on my blog and stuff!! you guys know the drill :B


	6. Chapter 6

Hinata is a little nervous about texting The Grand King, but everytime he looks at his palm he feels warm, and he wants Oikawa to toss to him again, so he has to eventually.

He spends a while just thinking about it. Oikawa sets different from both Kageyama and Suga - it’s more like a combination of the two, he thinks. Once they started really getting into it, the tosses were easier to hit than Kageyama’s, at least. 

He curls up on his bed. He doesn’t want to think about Kageyama. He types in Oikawa’s number into his phone, saves his contact info, and texts him. 

_hi!!! its hinata!!!!_

He stares at the screen. When a reply doesn’t come, he sends another text. 

_do you wanna practices tosses again soon?_

Hinata feels a little desperate sending that, but he is a little desperate. He doesn’t want to practice with Kageyama, or think about him, or look at him. Everything he does seems to make him mad these days, and he just wants to hit the ball right. 

His phone pings, and this time there’s a prompt reply. 

_of course, hina-chan~! would you like to meet up on sunday ( ・◇・)？_

Hinata smiles into his pillow. Of course he’d use emoticons. 

_yeah!_

_would you like to come to sendai, or would you rather i take the train to you?_

Hinata debates for a moment. He doesn’t really like taking the train - he prefers getting where he needs to go with his own two legs, whether that be biking, running, or walking (he tried rollerblading a few times, but he just ended up slipping and falling). 

_can you come to me?? if its not too much trouble!!!!!_

_not at all (´„•ω•„) so 1pm at the train station?_

_ok!!!!_

There is no reply after that. Hinata hugs his phone to his chest and shoves his face into the pillow. He can’t figure out why his heart is beating fast, but he figures it’s excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow another chapter. hinata is hard to write??? like wow that is unexpectedly difficult. anyway yeah they hang out next chapter!! woohoo!! i have no idea what im doing lmao hope you enjoyed


	7. Chapter 7

Oikawa is about to turn back any second. He’s so anxious he can hardly breathe, and he has to control every intake of air. His hand grips his bag tightly, his knuckles are white, and he’s trying to hide his giddy smile.

His foot taps on the floor of the train as scenery whizzes by. His throat feels like it’s closing. He has to calm himself before he meets Hinata, or he’s liable for an attack. He counts his breaths and focuses on the numbers. Breathes in through his nose, out with his mouth, one, two, one, two. 

He has a firm handle on himself by the time he makes it to the stop, and his step off the train is firm and stable. Hinata stands on the platform, swaying a little and staring into space. He’s spinning a volleyball in his hands. Oikawa counts his breaths again. 

He walks up to him with a smile and waves. “Yaho, Hina-chan.” 

Hinata jumps, higher than anyone else OIkawa knows would, but his startled look quickly passes into a sunny smile. “Yes! Hello!” 

Oikawa swallows. “Do you have a place in mind to practice?” 

Hinata nods eagerly. “Yup! There’s a park near my school, and there’s a corner store nearby so we can get drinks and pork buns!” 

He looks excited. He’s still spinning the ball. Oikawa wants to hold his hand. “Lead the way then,” he says, gesturing towards the exit with a soft, haf-sultry smile. 

Hinata bounds off, seemingly unaware of Oikawa’s attempt at subtle flirtation. Oikawa follows, and Hinata ends up chattering to fill the silence. Oikawa listens to everything he says carefully - he mostly just talks about volleyball, and how much he loves spiking, but then it leads off into how glad he is that he has a team. 

Oikawa doesn’t understand. “What do you mean? You have to have a team to play volleyball. DId you not play before high school?” 

Hinata turns and walks backwards. “I practiced all the time, but I didn’t have a team in middle school. I was the only person in my club. I’d just get my friends from the basketball club to toss to me.” He says it like it’s nothing, because that’s just the way things were, but there’s a hint of sadness and nostalgia in his voice. Oikawa stares. “In my last year we had enough members, since a few first years joined and my friends joined too, so we had just enough people for a game. Kageyama’s team eliminated us in the first round, though.” And there, there he sounds bitter, and Oikawa knows that feeling well, especially at the hands of Kageyama. “After that I trained with the girl’s team and the neighbourhood moms a lot! So that’s why I’m really happy I have a real team now, with a real coach and stuff. It’s so cool!” 

When he grins at Oikawa, it feels like a punch to his gut. That smile is sunshine incarnate, the prettiest thing he has ever seen. The sun shines behind him, highlighting him in a glow, Oikawa _can’t breathe_ \- 

He turns around, and Oikawa is safe. “That sounds rough,” he muses lightly, his voice a little strained. Hinata hums. 

They walk a little more and pass the corner store. “What made you want to play volleyball?” he asks, a little nervous. He’s wondered ever since they first met - it’s not like he would’ve been encouraged with his small physique. Something like badminton or tennis would suit him more. 

Hinata whirls around again, eyes wide in wonder and excitement. “The Small Giant of course!” 

Oikawa has never heard of him, but before he can ask, Hinata continues on. “He was Karasuno’s ace when I was in elementary school. I saw one of his matches on tv, and I knew I wanted to be like that. He looked like,” he looks wistful, hopeful, “like he was flying.” 

Images of Hinata’s plays flash before his eyes. The way he threw himself above the net, faster than everyone else, hovering for a moment, over and over and over again. 

“Well,” he rasps, then clears his throat. “I think you’re definitely on your way there. You certainly look like a small giant to me.” 

Hinata snaps his gaze to him, and Oikawa is instantly reminded of their first encounter. His eyes are wide and intense, staring into his own, boring holes into him. Oikawa wants to shift away from that hard gaze, but he feels stuck. 

A blush builds up on Hinata’s face until he’s red all over, and he rubs the back of his head, mumbling under his breath in embarrassment. His eyes are off him, and Oikawa exhales slowly, smiling at him softly. “Come on,” he says, “weren’t we going to practice?” 

Hinata jumps to attention. “Right!” And he skips off, cheeks still tinted pink, a fire alight in his eyes. 

They practice for hours, until it’s just starting to get dark. They move well together, after some practice, and Oikawa feels them falling into an easy rhythm. They stop at the corner store on the way back to the station, and Oikawa treats him to pork buns, getting Hinata’s whoops of happiness in return. Hinata looks like a chipmunk, shoving the bun into his mouth, and Oikawa chuckles a little. 

Hinata beams up at him. “Thanks, Oikawa-san!” 

He waves him off. “It’s no trouble, I was going to buy one for myself anyway.” He can’t remember the last time he bought someone something - not since his last girlfriend, probably. It feels nice to have Hinata’s gratitude directed at him. 

Hinata chatters all the way back to the station, but this time Oikawa isn’t paying attention. He focuses more on the shine of Hinata’s skin, the way his eyes glimmer when he glances up at him, the slope of his shoulders and the nape of his neck, the way his damp hair clings to it. 

They reach the station in record time, and Oikawa is a little disappointed. The next train is coming quickly. 

Hinata smiles at him, so genuinely it almost hurts to look at it. “Thanks for practicing with me, Oikawa-san.” 

He looks at him for a moment. “You can just call me Oikawa or Tooru if you like,” he says without thinking, then tries to fight down his blush. 

Hinata cocks his head and hums. “Oikawa… Tooru... Tooru-san?” 

Oikawa stares at him the whole time he goes over which he likes best. 

“Are you sure Tooru is fine?” 

Oikawa clears his throat and blinks. “Yeah, that’s great, that’s fine, Hina-chan.” 

Hinata plays with the volleyball in his hand, and Oikawa can sense his nervous excitement. “All right,” he says slowly, “Tooru.” 

Oikawa swears he’s about to have a heart attack hearing his name come out of that small, sweet mouth. All he wants to do is lean down and kiss him until he can breathe again. 

His train comes. “I’ll see you later, Hina-chan!” He goes to step on. 

Hinata waves, looking a little stunned and giddy, and Oikawa stares until the doors close. He leans against the railing to make sure his legs don’t collapse. 

“I’m so screwed,” he whispers to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i updated a ton today. thank you for the comments and kudos, as always!! i appreciate it soo much!!  
> unfortunately, i have school. so i can't update as frequently during the week. you guys will be lucky if you get an update once a day, even! i'll make up for it on the weekends, dont worry ;)  
> anyway yeah i hope you liked it!! more oihina interaction. depending on whether or not i want next chapter to be kageyama-initiated angst or cute outings w/ natsu and tooru's nephew. i mean, they'll both happen eventually, im just not sure when. lmao


	8. Chapter 8

Hinata hasn’t spoken to Kageyama once since their fight. It’s not his fault, he reasons - he asked for something he deserved. Why wouldn’t Kageyama give it to him? Why couldn’t he toss the ball in a way that Hinata could hit it the way he wanted to?

_Tooru tosses to me right_ , he thinks absentmindedly, bitterly. 

Tooru has been on his mind a lot lately, it seems. He’d always thought of him as cool and powerful, and a little scary, but after being able to practice with him he finds himself sort of… liking him. 

Hinata never would have considered it to be possible, based on what he’d seen of him and what Kageyama had said, that he could be so nice. But he was - he was encouraging and patient and Hinata liked the way he played a lot. 

After his practice with him, and even more so after the second, he’d just think about playing with him. When he could hit his sets again. What Tooru might teach him next. He finds it a little thrilling. 

He’s thinking about it when he’s changing, and he’s going slower than usual because of it. He and Kageyama are the only one’s left in the clubroom, but he’s intent on ignoring him. 

“Why were you with Oikawa the other day?” 

Hinata jumps. He gawks over at Kageyama. This is the first time they’ve spoken and he wants to talk about that? Did he see them at the park? 

“I-I don’t know what you mean! The practice match, right? Well h-he just came up to me, and-” 

“Not the practice match, dumbass, when you were at the park nearby.” 

Hinata can feel his stomach churning a bit, and he plays with his hands. Kageyama looks pissed - not in the way that he gets when Hinata messes up a play. He looks like he did when they first met Tsukishima, and he’d gotten angry at being called ‘king’. 

Kageyama continues to glare. “W-well,” he stammers, trying to think up a reasonable explanation. “U-um, well y-you see…” 

Kageyama turns away. “Am I not good enough for you? Are you so hung up on your dumb idea that you went to Oikawa of all people?” 

Hinata’s stomach settles. Now, instead of nervous, he’s annoyed. “He asked me first! And it’s not a dumb idea, to want to fight on my own!” 

Kageyama snorts. “It is because it won’t work. You can hit the ball because I let you hit it. That’s it. You’re not good enough to do it on your own.” 

“His tosses are better than yours.” 

He doesn’t know what compels him to say that, because it’s not entirely true, and Kageyama jerks back like he’s been burned. “What?” 

“I said, he’s a better setter. He actually listens to me at least. He tosses to me the way I want to be tossed to.” 

Kageyama looks furious, but also hurt. “Shut up.” 

“It’s true.” 

“Shut up!” He yells, whirling on Hinata, and he takes a step back in fear. “I know what’s best! He may toss to you in a way you like more, but I know how to win.” 

Hinata’s too scared and angry to reply, so he shoves his things in his bag and goes to leave. 

“Besides, he’s just using you anyway.” 

Hinata turns and glowers at him. “So are you. At least he’s nice about it.” 

And he stalks out, rubbing angry tears out of his eyes, and bikes home as fast as he can. 

His phone pings halfway home, and he stops to check it. 

_want to practice again soon?_

He types a reply back to Oikawa quickly, half out of spite and half out of excitement. 

_yeah. i can come there this time._

_sure (`･ω･´)ゞ_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry this is a bunch of angst and kags is just. really bitter. he's so bitter im so sorry.   
> dont worry though i wont introduce a love triangle!! kags is just worried abt hinata dont worry~~ love triangles are not what im abt so yeah none of those  
> next chapter is gonna be super light and fluffy ok!! i promise. nice.   
> as always, ty for the kudos and comments!! im so glad you guys are liking this!!


	9. Chapter 9

“Shouyou, hurry up! You’re so slow!”

Hinata pouts at his little sister. “My pace is fine!” 

“Nu-uh! We’re gonna miss the dolphin show!” 

“No we won’t!” 

“If you don’t hurry up we will!” 

Hinata sighs and jostles her leg that’s wrapped around his shoulder, where she sits. “See? It’s right there. We won’t miss it.” 

Natsu squeals loudly. “Hurry, hurry, hurry!” 

Hinata jogs over to the ticket line up at the entrance of the aquarium. It’s a sunday and it’s packed - the lineup is long, but luckily it’s moving quickly. It only takes them about ten minutes to make it through and pay. Natsu fidgets the whole time, even jumping off his shoulders to pace. When they finally make it inside, she grabs his hand. “Come on, come on, I wanna see!” 

Hinata lets himself get dragged to the dolphin tank. They make it just in time for the show - Hinata inwardly grimaces when he realizes his little sister was probably right to tell him to hurry. 

“Hina-chan?” 

Hinata looks to his right, and then up, and _oh look it’s Tooru_. 

They’ve met up several times to practice now, but this is the first they’ve seen each other in a non-volleyball situation. Hinata finds himself a little flustered, partly because of the unusal circumstances and partly because - 

Well, he _likes_ Tooru. 

He blushes a tiny bit, but waves eagerly. “Hi, Tooru! Are you here for the dolphin show, too?” 

Oikawa’s smile is sweet like candy, Hinata thinks. “Yup! I brought my nephew Takeru. What a coincidence meeting you here!” 

Hinata looks down at the small boy and waves at him. Natsu stares at the two of them. 

The announcer comes on, and both Natsu and Takeru rush to the railing to lean over and stare at the dolphins. Hinata and Tooru have to squeeze past people to reach them, and Hinata can feel him press up against him at some point, making him squirm a little because that’s a little too much contact for comfort. 

Natsu and Takeru end up becoming fast friends, chatting all throughout the show, and they refuse to part when it’s over. 

“Well, we could always just go through together, right, Hina-chan?” 

Hinata has been too busy staring at Tooru’s hair and just how fluffy and chocolate-y it looks (sweet, like every other part of him), but his eyes snap quickly to the other’s eyes. “Y-yeah, that’s fine!” 

And so they go through, Hinata and Tooru hovering around each other, watching over Natsu and Takeru, who run around in excitement. Hinata tries to act responsible, but sometimes he finds himself tugging at Tooru’s sleeve and pointing at something he finds particularly cool or amazing, and Tooru always looks and Hinata’s embarrassed each time, but he likes the attention Tooru gives him instead of brushing him off. 

Eventually it gets too crowded and in order to make sure no one loses each other, Natsu insists that everyone holds hands. Hinata has no problem with that, until she demands he holds Tooru’s. 

Hinata can feel himself blushing and he hopes Tooru doesn’t notice, because he’s sure that he’s acting like a kid. But his quick glance up to check reveals a blush similar to his own, and _wow that looks really good on him, it really highlights his cheekbones_ \- 

Natsu drags them along, more forceful than anyone else in the group, and it takes them another hour before they reach the gift shop. Hinata has managed to calm down his blush by replacing the embarrassment with his excitement and wonder, but his too-frequent glances up at Tooru reveal that he has not been so successful. Hinata wonders what it would be like to hold his hand regularly. 

They manage to get the kids out without buying anything (though Hinata isn’t so sure Tooru could resist, considering he disappeared from sight for about five minutes) and get them outside, where they immediately start playing tag. Hinata wants to hold Tooru’s hand again, but can’t think of an excuse. 

Said boy looks down at him, and looks a little - embarrassed? Nervous? Uncomposed, for sure. 

“I’m glad we ran into you today. I - we had fun.” 

Hinata nods and beams up at him. “Yeah, me too! Natsu really likes Takeru. We should do it again!” 

He doesn’t really realize what he’s said until it’s out of his mouth, and he hopes Tooru doesn’t think he’s weird for the suggestion. When he gets one of those sugary smiles in return, he feels a little relieved. 

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

Then he turns away and calls to Takeru, who comes bounding over with Natsu, both of them grinning and panting. “We should head home.” 

“Can we go with Natsu?” Takeru says excitedly, and Natsu nods hard in agreement. Tooru glances over, and Hinata shrugs. 

“Sure, that should be fine,” he says. “We’ll be taking the same train anyway, at least for a while.” 

So they head out, with Natsu and Takeru shrieking and laughing the whole way. Hinata feels like he should be talking to Tooru, but he has no idea what to say. Tooru is looking fondly at the kids, and in a moment of bravery he blurts out, “W-we should. Do this again. Without them.” 

Tooru stops and looks down at him with shock written all over his face, and Hinata is so sure he’s screwed up, Tooru probably won’t even practice with him after this - 

“You mean … just the two of us?” 

Hinata nods quickly, nervously, playing with his hands. “Unless you don’t want to!” he all but yells, staring at the ground, his face beet red. 

Tooru makes stuttering noises above him. “No, um, that would… be great actually. That would be great. I would like that.” 

Hinata’s head shoots up. “Really?” 

Tooru nods jerkily. “Yeah.” 

He whoops loudly, jumping up in excitement. “Does this mean I can hold your hand?” he asks breathlessly. 

Tooru doesn’t say a word, face still red, but offers his hand, and Hinata grabs it. It’s a little awkward with their height difference, but the smooth, calloused skin he grasps makes up for it. They hold hands until Tooru and Takeru have to get off at their stop, and Hinata stares at his palm when they leave. 

“You li~ike him,” Natsu teases, grinning up at him. 

“Sh-shut up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS SO UNEDITED IM SORRY FORGIVE ME I LITERALLY JUST WROTE THIS AND NOW IM POSTING IT  
> ILL PROBABLY GO BACK AND EDIT IT LATER I SWEAR OK ILL EDIT THE WHOLE FIC PROPERLY PLS PUT UP WITH MY SPELLING MISTAKES AND BAD GRAMMAR FOR NOWWWW  
> anyway yeah last update of the night cause im tired!! next chapter will probably be a date. unless i decide otherwise but i doubt i will. yes they are!! hooking up it's great.  
> i feel like this chapter would have been better from Oikawa's pov, but I wanted to write more Natsu than Takeru, so there you have it. I'll probably write a flashback scene of Hinata asking him out just so you can know what's going through his mind~~  
> um i feel like oikawa was a little ooc this chapter. but im too lazy to go back and fix it. so whatever. hope you enjoyed!


	10. Chapter 10

_“W-we should. Do this again. Without them.”_

_Oikawa stops breathing and stares at Hinata. The other boy is a little red, and fiddling with his hands, unable to look at him directly. Oikawa barely manages to choke out his words._

_“You mean… just the two of us?”_

_Hinata nods, and Oikawa does his best to suck in a breath so his lungs don’t collapse. “Unless you don’t want to!”_

_His teeth clack and his tongue feels heavy. He can’t force the words out. He hasn’t stuttered this bad since the fourth grade when he was bullied because of it. He needs to answer, needs to answer now, needs Hinata to know, to not worry -_

_“No, um, that would… be great actually. That would be great. I would like that.”_

_He tries to breathe inconspicuously. It’s not working well._

_“Really?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_He takes a deep breath. He hopes Hinata doesn’t notice his shaking._

_“Does this mean I can hold your hand?”_

_Oikawa couldn’t say a word if he tried. He’s trying to focus on breathing when he sticks out his hand for Hinata, who grabs it tightly. His hand is warm, with small callouses, but his palm is soft and dry. Oikawa counts his breaths. He stares down at -_

A loud beeping noise interrupts his dream and Oikawa groans, batting his hand to grab at his phone and shut off the alarm. 

Today is his first date with Hinata. They’ve been texting a little (Hinata has gotten pretty used to it, and sends random things about his day), and they decided that a movie date was the best way (and have established that yes, it is definitely a date, after Hinata asked). He needs to get up and get ready to meet him. 

He puts a little more effort into his hair today, even though Hinata probably won’t notice. Other than that, it’s his usual routine - brush, wash, tea tree oil, moisturize, light makeup. Iwaizumi and the rest of the team has teased him about his beauty guru ways, but he likes looking pretty, and it’s fun, it looks great, he’s great at it, so he doesn’t really see the harm. Most people don’t notice anyway (thin foundation, a little mascara and some chapstick never hurt anyone, right?). 

And then he’s off to pick an outfit. It’s August, and sweltering outside, so Oikawa figures he can get away with his shorts (they’re _really_ short, and Iwaizumi always berates him for it) and the nice pastel tank top he has. He grabs his wallet and a granola bar as he heads out (the tiniest bit late, he notes, but he’s not worried). 

He arrives exactly one minute late to the theatre, and Hinata is already waiting. The smaller boy notices him quickly, throwing his hand up in a large wave before jogging over. 

Hinata’s drop-crotch pants are a little unexpected (but cute, Oikawa notes), but his volleyball tank is completely unsurprising. He beams up at him, as blinding as the sun itself, and Oikawa’s tempted to shade his eyes. 

“Hi, Tooru!” 

“Good afternoon, Hina-chan~! I hope I haven’t made you wait long.” 

Hinata shakes his head eagerly. “Nope! I just got here a few minutes ago.” 

Oikawa had never anticipated Hinata to be the punctual type, but he takes note of it so he doesn’t make him wait in the future. “Well,” he says after an awkward pause, “should we go inside? The movie will start soon.” 

Without hesitation, Hinata takes his hand and tugs him inside. Oikawa hopes his light blush isn’t noticeable. 

Luckily, they make it into the dark theatre quickly and it doesn’t matter how red Oikawa is. He doesn’t pay a lot of attention to the movie, more concerned with Hinata’s energetic expressions and the way he squeezes his hand when he gets too excited. He hasn’t let go, and Oikawa isn’t sure he wants him to. 

Oikawa isn’t big into anything that isn’t comedy, romantic, or sci-fi, so he doesn’t feel disappointed missing this action flick. But Hinata likes it, and he likes watching Hinata, and he actually ends up calming down from his initial embarrassment and anxiety that hit him when Hinata grabbed his hand. He absentmindedly rubs circles on the back of it. Hinata glances at him in innocent confusion for a moment, before smiling and turning back to the movie. 

Two hours later he is once again blinded by the hot summer sun. 

“... and then it was like ‘boom’ and ‘gwoosh’! Oh man, that was so cool!” 

Oikawa outright giggles, covering his mouth with the hand not currently occupied. Hinata glances up at him, pausing. 

“Sorry,” Oikawa says without thinking, “you’re just really cute.” 

It takes him a beat to realize what he’s said, but Hinata’s already turning red, and then so is he, and his hands are getting a little clammy and he really, really hopes Hinata isn’t grossed out by it. 

“Why don’t we get some ice cream?” he asks jerkily, his voice wavering a bit. 

Hinata nods quickly, still blushing, but Oikawa can see the smile tugging on his face and is a little relieved. 

The find a small ice cream shop, and Oikawa pays again (though Hinata demands that next time it’s his treat), and honestly he’s a little too caught up in watching Hinata lick his own ice cream to focus on his own. 

“Tooru, you’re ice cream’s spilling!” 

He jerks a little, swearing under his breath as Hinata laughs, and he goes to lick his fingers clean. Hinata tries to stifle his giggles, but to no avail. 

“Hina-chan, so mean! You can't you laugh at me when it’s your fault!” 

“You’re the one let it drip all over him,” he points out, still snickering. 

“Only because you were being cute! You should do something to make up for it, Hina-chan.” 

It’s a joke. Oikawa does not expect to be tugged down, or a wet kiss to be planted on his cheek, the heat of Hinata’s skin on his own. He goes stock-still, bent over above Hinata, who’s red in the face. He blinks at him, devoid of air. 

“S-s-sorry! Was that not okay?” Hinata squeaks. 

Oikawa blinks again. “It’s fine.” 

He straightens slowly, giving himself time to compose himself, and then settles one of his dazzling smiles on his face. “Why don’t we go to the park, Hina-chan? We can sit on the hill and you can kiss me all you like!” 

Hinata gets even redder, if possible, but grips Oikawa’s hand firmly and let’s himself be guided. They don’t, in fact, end up kissing, but Oikawa ends up laughing his lungs out at Hinata’s impressions, and that’s honestly just as good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONCE AGAIN UNEDITED and also late considering how fast i've been updating recently. however, i did actually go to school today, and i couldn't really think up a first date, but this works right??? anyway yeah this weekend i'll go back and i'll edit the whole fic so there aren't any errors or whatever, and it'll be all nice and stuff, but until then please bear with me!! also if this felt kind of rushed or awkward, im really sorry! i've felt unmotivated all day, but i knew i needed to update so i mustered up the will to write this. i hope its enough?  
> thank you for all the support!! your kudos and comments motivate and inspire me every time i see them, so thank you! i hope you enjoyed! if you have any suggestions/questions/thoughts, hmu on my blog, bokutx !


	11. Chapter 11

Oikawa has gotten significantly more comfortable and at ease around Hinata since they first interacted. They've had three official dates now (and several more volleyball practices and babysitting gigs), and Oikawa can now touch Hinata without wanting to combust. Which is useful, because Hinata _loves_ to touch.

He kisses his cheek and holds his hand and demands piggyback rides, and Oikawa indulges him every single time. Hinata never tires of it, it seems, and Oikawa feels warm inside when he thinks about how much affection Hinata gives him. Iwaizumi says he strokes his ego too much, but Oikawa vehemently denies it. 

This is the first time Hinata has been to Oikawa’s house. He seems a little nervous, though no one’s home but them (or is that why?), and Oikawa is quick to reassure. 

“Hina-chan, no need to worry! What’s mine is yours, so make yourself at home!” 

Hinata fidgets. “Right! I’ll do my best!” 

Oikawa stifles a laugh, because that’s so Hinata, and piles some snacks into his arms. “Ah, can you grab the soda from the fridge? And two glasses, in the cupboard two down.” 

Hinata quickly follows instructions (though he can barely reach the cups, forcing Oikawa to stifle another laugh) and soon they are making their way up to his room. 

He dumps the snacks all over the small coffee table, and gestures to Hinata to do the same, before moving to his computer to set up their movie. Hinata stands in fidgety silence, obviously unsure whether or not to sit on the bed. 

“Right! All ready. Hina-chan, make yourself comfy.” 

Hinata gracelessly sits on the bed, crossing his legs over the duvet. Oikawa clambers up beside him, sitting close, but choosing not to press against him in case he gets startled by the contact. 

The rom-com starts playing (Oikawa has no idea how he got Hinata to agree to watch this, but he’s not complaining), and within the first fifteen minutes Hinata has scooched closer and is leaning on Oikawa’s shoulder. He doesn't seem super interested, and ends up stuffing his face with snacks, but he’s paying a little attention, which is something Oikawa takes great pleasure in (considering his small attention span). 

About halfway through the move Hinata moves closer. After a few seconds he moves closer again, and then again, until he’s really just sitting on Oikawa’s lap. He tries his best to focus on the movie, but he’s far too aware of Hinata’s hands around his neck, and then in his hair, and then his _lips on his._

It is chaste and messy, but it is definitely Hinata’s mouth pressing into his own, hot and scalding. All Oikawa can do is stare with wide eyes. 

Hinata is a little red and pouting when he pulls back. “The movie is boring.” 

Oikawa chuckles. “Maybe we should work on your kissing technique instead then.” 

Hinata gets redder. “Sh-shut up! That was my first kiss you know!” 

He has no idea how someone as cute as Hinata lasted so long without someone jumping him for one, and he wonders if Hinata was purposely saving it. “I’m honoured then.” 

“You should be,” he mumbles back, and Oikawa leans in with a smile. 

Now that he’s the one initiating, it’s better. Hinata’s hands cling to his neck (burning hot, just like the rest of him, a small sun contained in his body) and he tries to push against him, but Oikawa pulls back before he can. 

“Just try to follow my lead, okay?” he murmurs. Hinata nods, and he indulges him with another slow kiss. 

Once Hinata allows Oikawa to take control it’s really quite enjoyable, and he’s a fast learner. The movie is completely forgotten, tuned out in favour of the shallow breaths they take in pauses. 

Oikawa doesn't try to initiate anything more - his hands rest lightly on Hinata’s waist as he peppers him with closed-mouth kisses, and that seems just fine. Neither of them press for more, though eventually they sink back until Hinata is lying on top of him to make the whole thing more comfortable. 

After a while, when the movie is completely finished and the screen has gone dark, Hinata pulls away and snuggles into him. Oikawa wraps his around around his back and lets out a satisfied sigh. 

“Tooru?” 

“Hm?” 

“C-can I call you my boyfriend?” 

Oikawa laughs. “Of course, Hina-chan.” 

Hinata buries his face in his neck, and he can feel the smile pressed against his skin. “Okay. You can call me by my first name too, then, if you want.” 

He kisses the top of his fluffy, orange head. “All right, Shou-chan.” 

They end up taking a nap until one of his sisters bursts through the door, hoping to catch them in a precarious situation. Oikawa throws a pillow at her and whines about it until Hinata kisses him to shut him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay this was edited in like 2 seconds so there's probably still some mistakes!! sorry about that.   
> anyway yay they've officially hooked up!! they are together!! now they have to deal with each other. it'll be fine. probably.   
> if any of you are wondering like why does oikawa seem so calm this chapter, it's because he's gotten a lot more familiar with hinata and so his anxiety has calmed down a lot!! he's no longer feeling like he's being thrown into a new/dangerous/scary situation, so he's all good now. however you'll see him panic again later because his anxiety isn't just a crush thing~   
> um yeah!! i have an idea flitting around about next chapter, but if you have anything you want to see in the fic PLEASE let me know!! im always taking suggestions since i suck at ideas. so if you're like wow i really want them to do this just tell me okay??? the only thing i refuse to write is anything sex-based (because hinata is ace B) )  
> so yeah just hmu on my blog!! thank you for your continuous support!!


	12. Chapter 12

“Okay, that’s all for today! Start cleaning up!”

Hinata worked as quickly as he could to help clean up the gym, excitement coursing through his veins. Tooru had promised to pick him up from practice today and grab easy corner store food for a picnic supper (Tooru’s idea, of course, but Hinata was very enthusiastic about it). When he almost trips over his own feet for the third time, Kageyama barks at him (they had made up now, making everything remarkably easier). 

“Oi, dumbass, watch where you’re going!” 

Hinata sticks his tongue out at him childishly, throwing a volleyball away. He can hear the third years chuckling off to the side, but the sound is cut off quickly. He turns to look to see what happened, then quickly perks up. 

“Oh! It seems you’re not done yet. My bad.” 

Tooru stood at the doorway of the gym, already in casual clothes (he doesn’t have practice mondays, something he takes advantage of in the form or surprises) and carrying a large bag over his shoulder. Kageyama glares at him, but most of the others just look on in confusion - except Suga, who looks disapproving. 

Hinata drops the volleyballs he’s holding in their bin and bounds over, and he can feel stares on him but he’s not too concerned. “Hi Tooru! I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” 

Tooru smiles down at him, and Hinata wants to kiss it. “That’s fine, take your time. I wouldn’t want to steal you from your team.” 

He nods quickly, grinning up at him, before running to finish cleaning. 

“Uh.. Hinata? Why is Oikawa here to see you?” 

Hinata turns to see Tanaka, asking the question he realizes everyone must be asking. He hasn’t actually told anyone he’s dating Tooru other than his family. He’s now not entirely sure this was a good idea. 

“Yeah, Hinata, are you practising with him or something? You guys seemed to be getting along pretty well last practice match.” That’s Nishinoya, asking in half-concern, half-curiosity, and Hinata feels a little guilty. 

He can feel Kageyama’s glare, and he turns to Suga to help, who looks like he’s just realized something. When he doesn’t respond, Hinata shrinks into himself a little. “U-uh…” 

Tooru is walking up to him, having seemingly noticed his distress. “Shou-chan, I can’t believe you didn’t tell them already!” He wraps his arm around his shoulders, rubbing soothing circles into his shoulder, and Hinata relaxes a little. “We’re dating!” 

The entire gym goes dead silent for a moment, and then it’s filled with shocked shrieks. His teammates clamour to get a word in, shock written all over their faces, and Hinata doesn’t know who to answer first. 

Kageyama, however, remains silent, staring with a horrified expression on his face. Hinata is a little concerned that he’s not lecturing them, or even seemingly angry - he just stares, then shakes his head and goes back to cleaning. He feels a little more at ease when Suga jogs over to him, and then his attention is completely taken up by Tanaka, who clasps his arms. 

“Hinata, seriously, why? When? He’s not taking advantage of you, is he?” 

Tooru makes a hurt sound above him. “Of course not! We’re mutually interested in each other. Not that I blame Shou-chan, with my good looks.” 

Hinata can’t help but giggle, and his teammates are shocked again. 

“Hinata you can’t seriously be dating him.” 

He nods sheepishly, and now it’s Nishinoya grasping him. “Do we need to have The Talk, Shouyou,” he rasps, and Hinata reels back, and now it’s Tooru laughing. “He hasn’t tried anything like that, right?” Nishinoya continues. “Cause if he does, you can tell your senpai, and we’ll-” 

“Oh, relax, Mr. Libero! Hinata’s safe with me. If it makes you feel better, he’s the one to initiate everything!” 

Nishinoya does, actually, settle down a little after that - at least, after Hinata’s confirming nod. “Well, okay then. As long as Shouyou’s happy, then I guess it’s okay.” Tanaka grumbles an agreement beside him, though he doesn’t look pleased, and Hinata positively beams. 

“I’m gonna clean up,” he says to Tooru, tugging him down to kiss his cheek, before running off to grab a mop. Kageyama and Suga seemed to have finished the nets and balls, so he quickly runs the mop over the floor. He feels a little guilty for Tooru, since Daichi is now interrogating him, but it only takes him about a minute to finish. He puts the mop away, and discovers Kageyama in the storage room. 

He has his back to Hinata. “Kageyama?” he asks softly, and that back jerks a bit. 

“He’s just going to hurt you. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” he bites out, then turns and storms out of the room. Hinata wants to make a retort, but he’s already gone. He puts the mop away in the tension-filled silence, and finds his escape by Tooru’s side when he reaches it. 

“I just gotta change,” he says quickly, not even looking to see if Tooru heard him before running off. He changes in record time into casual clothes he brought with him, shoving everything into his bag ungracefully, and then sprints back to the gym. 

“Ready!” 

Tooru turns from his questioning teammates to look at him, then nods with a relieved smile. “Well, it seems like I have a date, so I’ll see you all later~! Please hold your questions until then,” he says cheerily, walking up to Hinata and taking his hand. Hinata grasps it eagerly, waving at his still shell-shocked team, and walks off with his boyfriend. The sun is starting to hang in the sky, as it tends to in early fall. 

“I’m glad they know,” Hinata says quietly, a smile still stuck on his face. 

Tooru hums. “You should come meet my team next. I mean, they all know, but they haven’t really met you.” 

He squeezes his fingers. “Okay.” 

They spend the evening in the park, eating store-bought bentos and soda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wrote this in the last 30 minutes, mostly because i was bored, and of course it's unedited. at this point, tho, do you guys really expect me to? :B next up: probably hinata meeting seijou! as always, thank you for your support, and hmu on my blog, bokutx!


	13. Chapter 13

Oikawa is busy teaching the first years when Hinata arrives, nervously and looking out of place. 

“Oi, Captain! Your boyfriend is here!” 

Hinata squeaks and starts fidgeting, but Oikawa excuses himself and jogs over fondly. “Hi, Shou-chan! So glad you could make it! Practice will be over in about half an hour, so if want to sit on the bleachers and watch…” 

Hinata is visibly shaking, something Oikawa hadn’t noticed before. “Shou-chan, you don’t have to meet them if you don’t want to.” 

He shakes his head vigorously. “No! It’s fine! I’m okay!” 

Oikawa bites his lip and takes Hinata’s hand. “It’s really not a big deal. If you want, you only have to meet Iwa-chan?” 

He gets another shake of the head. “I want to meet them!” He’s glancing everywhere but Oikawa. 

“Are you sure?” 

A large nod. “Yup!” 

“Then why are you so nervous?” 

Hinata stays silent, looking down at his toes, and he flexes them. Oikawa encourages him by poking his cheek, making him flounder a little. “W-well,” he says quietly, “they’re all really tall. A-and what if they don’t like me, or don’t approve, or-or-” 

Oikawa sighs and pinches his cheeks. “Shou-chan, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” 

“Yeah, he talks about you all the time, we’re pretty used to it by now,” Matsukawa calls, and Oikawa turns around to pout at him. 

“Mattsun, how rude! Jealousy is unbecoming, you know!” 

He narrowly avoids a volleyball to the head from Iwaizumi, who yells at him to get back to work. He turns, still pouting, back to Hinata, who’s muffling laughter into his hand, looking far more relaxed. 

“Okay?” 

Hinata nods. “I’m okay. I’ll wait in the bleachers.” 

Oikawa smiles and kisses the top of his head before jogging back to practice. He’s well aware of Hinata’s attentive gaze, and he tries to show off by practicing his serves - at least, he hopes Hinata’s impressed. 

When practice is over, Oikawa forces his team to all introduce themselves to Hinata. He says that it’s necessary in order to have Hinata accepted into their “little volleyball family”, as he puts it. Kindaichi is hostile, but mostly everyone just tells him their name, position, and to break up with Oikawa whenever he gets to be too much. 

“If he breaks up with you in the next month you owe us ramen,” Matsukawa adds to Oikawa, and Hanamaki nods in the background, calling what kind he wanted. Oikawa puffs his cheeks in annoyance, and Hinata assures him that he won’t have to. 

Iwaizumi is the last one to come up. 

“Are you sure he hasn’t hypnotized you or something?” 

“Iwa-chan.” 

“If he ever does something stupid you can tell me.” 

“ _Iwa-chan_!” 

“I know he’s a dumbass, but please take care of him.” 

Hinata nods beside him as Oikawa pouts. “I will.” 

Iwaizumi smiles down at him, before turning back to Oikawa. “You better not ignore him for volleyball.” 

“ _That was one time_!” 

Iwaizumi raises his eyebrow. 

“Fine, okay, more like two times. Besides, that’s impossible with how much Shou-chan loves volleyball. We’ll just end up playing together.” 

Iwaizumi sighs. “Well, whatever. If you have any problems tell me.” He pauses, and now looks particularly sincere as he glances between the two of them. “I hope you’re happy.” 

Before Oikawa has a chance to speak (and potentially ruin the moment), Hinata pipes up. “I am! Tooru’s always really nice and buys me ice cream and sets for me. I’m really happy!” 

He blushes a little at Hinata’s bluntness, but Iwaizumi just chuckles. “Good.” 

Oikawa insists that they all hang out together that evening, and they decide to get ramen and walk around town. Iwaizumi eventually ditches them, claiming that their affection was just too much, but Oikawa knows he just wants to give them time to themselves. Hinata spends the night at his place, and they cuddle until they fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a lot of trouble with this chapter unfortunately, so im really hoping it doesn't really show. i also got iwa/oikawa/hinata feelings, and i so badly wanted to set it up for that, but i decided that i couldnt do that. so no, iwaizumi is just the real supportive friend (unlike kags lmao)  
> i hope this wasnt too ooc or anything!! ty for your continuous support!! hmu on my blog, as always!


	14. Chapter 14

“Pay attention to meeee.”

Oikawa looks down at Hinata, who has taken it upon himself to wrap his limbs around his waist like a koala. He’s just woken up from a nap (tired after a long practice), and he used that opportunity to get some homework done. Oikawa rubs his head, making his amber eyes squint. 

“In a minute,” he promises, “I have to complete this college thing first.” 

Hinata makes a whining noise in his throat and snuggles his face into Oikawa’s side. “Why do you have to do college stuff? That’s so far away.” 

He chuckles. “Not for me. We have to hand everything in by the end of the week, and applications are due soon, too.” 

Hinata is quiet for a while. Oikawa keeps rubbing his head absentmindedly, filling out his forms awkwardly. When he’s just finishing, Hinata speaks again. 

“I don’t want you to go.” 

He looks down in surprise at the boy clinging to him, now turned away. 

“Hina-chan?” 

“I don’t want you to go where I can’t follow.” 

Oikawa stares at him for a moment before dragging him into his lap. “What are you so scared about?” he teases. “Like I could bring myself to leave you like that. Even if I’m in college, it’s not like this will all stop.” 

“So you’ll still come see me?” 

“Mhm.” 

“And toss to me?” 

“Absolutely.” 

“And feed me pork buns?” 

“Yup.” 

“And kiss me whenever I want you to?” 

“Yes, Hina-chan. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Hinata smiles softly up at him, the rarest of all his many smiles, and pecks him on the mouth. “Okay.” 

Oikawa rests his head on Hinata’s, ignoring his muffled protests, and finishes the last couple things on his sheets. “All right! Now that that’s done, what would you like to do?” 

“Food. And then Mario Kart.” 

Oikawa’s eyes slit and he gives a mischievous, crooked smile. “Are you sure you can take me on?” 

Hinata grins competitively. “You’re going down, Mr. Grand King.” 

Oikawa does lose most of the races, and Hinata demands a kiss for every race he wins; eventually they give up and dissolve into a pile of kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay wow this is. late. but some stuff happened. anyway! here it is. a chapter. a short chapter. im sorry. anyway i thought this should be addressed at some point so it's being addressed now. and it's fine. it's good.  
> thank you, as always, for your lovely comments and kudos!! i read all of them, and you guys are so sweet <3 remember that if you have any suggestions or anything feel free to hmu on my blog, bokutx ~!


	15. Chapter 15

“ _Shouyou._ ”

Hinata lifts his head to look up at Tooru, lips red and a little swollen. Oikawa holds back a whine. 

“Let me see you,” he whispers, going for Hinata’s shirt, and he does not hesitate in letting him peel it off. Hinata immediately goes back to tracing his chest with his lips, seemingly focused on mapping it out. Oikawa didn’t realize he would be such a tease. 

This is their first time they’re getting more intimate, and Oikawa is loving every second of it. Hinata is inquisitive and not at all shy, something he finds exciting, and he’s having a hard time keeping in his soft noises. 

He would enjoy it a lot more, though, if Hinata showed any sort of interest in actually doing anything more. 

Hinata is completely silent during this entire interaction, and he doesn’t give Oikawa any time to give anything back. With so much attention on him Oikawa is anxious to let his hands roam Hinata’s small body - and he really wants to go a lot faster. 

“Why do you keep making those noises?” Hinata mumbles, and Oikawa wonders if he’s just ridiculously innocent. 

“Because you’re turning me on,” he murmurs back, hoping that it won’t freak him out and will get the ball rolling. 

Hinata stills for a moment. Then he moves off of Oikawa, off the bed, and sits on the computer chair near by with his knees brought up and his head resting on them. 

“Shou-chan?” he asks, concern threading through his voice. “Is everything all right? We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with…” 

Hinata doesn’t move, and he won’t look at him. Oikawa slowly moves off the bed and towards him. 

“Shou-chan?” 

Hinata takes a deep, audible breath. “You’re going to break up with me.” 

Oikawa blinks, and then almost wants to laugh. The thought seems inconceivable to him. “Of course not. If you’re not ready, it’s fine, we can go slowly.” 

Hinata shakes his head vigorously. “I’m never going to be ready.” 

“I know it seems kind of weird right now but maybe in a year -” 

“Tooru, I’m asexual.” 

Hinata refuses to look at him. Oikawa lets the information sink in for a moment, then takes the last two steps towards him and softly rubs his head. 

“I’m sorry for putting you in an uncomfortable situation,” he says quietly. “We’ll only do things you’re okay with in the future.” 

“You’re not breaking up with me?” 

“No,” he says. “I couldn’t do that. I can live with it. I’d rather have you and no sex than sex and no you.” 

Hinata wraps his arms around his waist and shoves his face into his stomach, letting out a shaky breath. Oikawa continues rubbing his head. After a few silent minutes Hinata shifts his head to peek up at him, and this time he has a bright smile that Oikawa swears glows a little in the darkly-lit room. 

Oikawa smiles back. “Did you wanna keep doing that, or do you wanna stop for tonight?” 

“I wanna keep doing it. But no sexual stuff.” 

When Oikawa asks him later why he likes to do it, Hinata responds surprisingly poetically. “Because you’re like a galaxy,” he says after a pause to think. “I don’t know much about them but I know they have a lot of stars and planets and stray rocks and stuff. And they always seem so far away, so you always wanna touch them. So it’s like I’m touching the stars, I guess.” 

Oikawa has never heard anything more beautiful come out of his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like to headcanon Hinata as sex-repulsed and also like he cant talk about his asexuality. most teenage boys are allll abt sex and stuff and probably they talk abt it in the clubroom and Hinata would feel really uncomfortable and like he wasn't really... going to find someone that didn't care abt sex??? not that he self-loathes or anything, he's chill with his sexuality, he's just worried other people won't be chill.  
> sorry for the wait on this chapter!!! i was busy with school and writers block and writing my iwakage fic which you guys should read tbh its awesome. so here it is !! sorry for the mistakes !!


	16. Chapter 16

“D-do we have to?”

Hinata fidgets beside Tooru as they move towards the rollercoaster. It’s not very big or fast, Hinata knows, but he looks at it with terror. 

Tooru looks surprised. “Do you not like them?” 

Hinata debates momentarily on whether he should tell him - his pride or his sanity? “Not particularly,” he says after a moment. It’d be more embarrassing to start screaming on the ride than it is to admit he’s afraid. 

Tooru look like he’s about to laugh, and Hinata pouts. “They’re scary okay! What if I fall out? I get sick riding them…” 

His boyfriend covers his mouth to hide his giggles but concedes. “All right, all right. What about spinning rides? Are those okay for your stomach?” 

Hinata knows he probably looks ready to hurl at the thought, and Tooru has to stifle more laughter. He makes indignant noises before Tooru calms down and they set off for other activities. 

The amusement park is small, nothing like their original plan (Tooru had wanted to take them to Tokyo Disney, but neither had the time nor the money to do so), but Hinata likes it a lot. The crowds aren’t huge and they don’t have to wait too long in lines - and there’s only a few rollercoasters, so he’s not stuck with a pleading Tooru. 

There are lots of smaller activities that they take part in. The test their strength with the hammer attraction (Hinata can’t remember what it’s called for the life of him, and is more concerned with Tooru’s pouting when he fails to win a prize), wander through the booths where they shoot targets and throw rings (he wins him a bear there, and Hinata clutches it, even after people mistake him for his little brother), and eat concession food. They share cotton candy, something Tooru likes more than Hinata but they both enjoy, and mostly just wander around holding hands. When Hinata gets tired - he always does eventually, expelling too much energy in everything he does - Tooru gives him a piggyback ride. On their way home Hinata kisses his ear. 

“Thank you,” he mumbles tiredly, happily. He’s sure of Tooru’s smile, though he can’t see it. 

“You’re welcome, Shou-chan.” 

“Love you.” 

Tooru stops walking, and Hinata blinks out of his bleary-eyed state to realize he’s just said something he probably shouldn’t have. 

“I-I mean - um - I loved today!” 

Hinata starts shaking a little from the lack of reaction and wiggles out of his arms and onto the ground, moving around from his back to look at him, checking to see if there's anger or worse. 

Tooru is blushing hard, looking a little bewildered. Hinata feels more at ease. “Tooru? Was that - was that all right?” 

His boyfriend gulps, looking like he needs air. The red is starting to turn to blue. 

He coughs a few times and manages to get his breathing under control. Just when he thinks Tooru is looking okay again he finds himself being lifted into the air and a kiss being pressed to his mouth. 

“Yeah. I - I love you too Shouyou.” 

It is Hinata’s turn to flush red, but he keeps pressing kisses to Tooru’s mouth happily, the both of them giggling away like idiots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my url changed !! if you wanna hmu i am now at kxushi on tumblr !! hope you enjoyed this chapter !!  
> btw im super glad abt the positive feedback from last chapter. asexual hinata is all i care about and i'll fight to the death about it.


	17. Chapter 17

Hinata is late.

Normally Oikawa wouldn't be worried - it's only been ten minutes, a perfectly reasonable amount of time to be late. But Hinata has never been anything but completely punctual, even early, and Oikawa is getting more nervous by the second. 

He's called his cell phone five times. He's texted him thirty-seven times. He's called his home phone once, but his mother said he'd headed out a while ago. His doors are all unlocked. He's searched the area around his house four times. 

At ten minutes his breathing is starting to get erratic and he clenches and unclenches his hands. At fourteen he is visibly shaking. At seventeen he vomits. By twenty-three minutes, he is huddled in the entranceway, shaking and crying, snot running out of his nose. He can't breathe, shallow breaths coming in too fast to help his lungs that feel like they're on fire, his limbs refuse to work, his eyes are too blurred to see. His head pounds and he can't think and thinks too much at the same time, unable to process anything. 

When the door is flung open by a battered Hinata, twenty-six minutes late, Oikawa feels like he might pass out. 

He doesn't hear what Hinata says at first, can't hear until he feels warm hands on his face. He can barely make out Hinata's eyes boring into him, and it takes him at least three full seconds before he can finally decipher what he's saying. 

" _Breathe._ " 

He attempts to control his breathing as Hinata holds him lightly, stroking his cheek and saying soothing, encouraging words that jumble together. 

Eventually he can breathe again, steadily, consciously. Hinata continues to say encouraging words, soft and sweet, and Oikawa wraps his arms around him when he has more control over his body. He wipes the last few stray tears from his eyes. 

"Are you okay now?" he asks, frightened concern in his voice. 

"Yeah," he says hoarsely, voice muffled as he rests his head on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata lets out a shaky sigh. 

"You really scared me." 

"'m sorry." 

"It's all right. What happened?" 

Oikawa makes his next breath extra deep. "You were late and you didn't answer phone. I started panicking." 

Hinata pulls back abruptly, and now he looks more normal and wild. "Gah! I left my phone at home! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I fell off my bike on the way here and it took me a little while to get going again!" 

Oikawa pulls him back into his arms, holding him like a lifeline. He isn't quite okay yet. "Are you hurt?" 

"Not really. I'm okay. So there's no need to worry, okay?" 

Oikawa tales in Hinata's scent, and the mix of sweat, laundry detergent and raspberries soothes him. "Okay." 

They end up watching movies in his bedroom, and Hinata knows enough to not push him. Oikawa appreciates the extra effort he puts in to make sure he doesn't have to move or worry. 

Later that evening, when it's dark and he can barely see the outline of Hinata's body, he releases his worry. "I thought you were gone," he whispers into his skin. 

Hinata shifts into his touch, and he wonders if the act is conscious or not. "I'm here." 

He kisses him like he can't breathe. Hinata runs soothing hands over his back. He feels safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is very late and unedited. im so sorry, ive been writing a yamakenma fic and i wrote the iwakage one, but here take it omg.


	18. Chapter 18

Hinata fits into the October air easily, and Oikawa feels like it’s where he belongs. An atmosphere filled with excitement, sweets, and the tiniest hint of fear, Hinata is made for the orange and black of the Halloween season. 

He figures he’d like Hinata a lot more if he didn’t keep demanding sweets. 

“Tooru, come on, it’s Halloween! You’re _supposed_ to eat a lot of candy.” 

Oikawa hides his face in Hinata’s pillow. “I don’t have any more though. You ate all of it.” 

Hinata turns pink and gives a nervous laugh. “Oh. Sorry.” 

Tooru peeks out from the pillow, hoping the smaller one has given up. He finds him staring intently. 

“Shou-chan. I’m out of sweets.” 

“No you’re not! You’re made of sweets!” 

Hinata kisses him before he turn his head away, pushing him so that he’s on his back to make more room. Oikawa let’s him do it with ease, rolling his eyes at the silly joke. 

Hinata pulls back once he needs to breathe (he’s not very good at breathing through his nose, Oikawa has discovered). “See? You always taste sweet.” 

His cheeks tint pink, but he is saved by the shrieks of Natsu entering the house, and Hinata scrambles off of him when she bursts into the room. 

“Shouyou, there’s tons of leaves outside! I wanna play!” 

Hinata blinks at Oikawa for a moment, who shrugs his shoulders. “All right, let’s go then!” he says, cheerfully, grabbing himself a sweater. 

Natsu drags them both into the backyard, where there are a few small piles of red and orange leaves. She immediately jumps into one of them, laughter ringing through the air. Hinata quickly joins her, while Oikawa finds a rake to make the piles. 

He only falls into the leaves once, when Hinata drags him down into a pile and kisses him quickly so Natsu won’t see, but he enjoys watching the two siblings have fun. The Hinata family never fails to brighten his day, and his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry for the wait and also the crappiness of this chapter. i've had major writers block for this fic. i'm planing a couple at the moment, and to be honest i've lost a lot of motivation for this fic and i really want it to be over. so! i actually planned ahead! and i have another 6-ish chapters to go until the end. Ish. so please bear with me.  
> i'm kind of embarrassed to post this chapter because it's so poorly done, but it's something, so take it. sorry again.


	19. Chapter 19

Oikawa usually loves parties. He loves to socialize and buzz around rooms, have quick snippets of conversation with everyone he can make eye contact with. It’s his element.

Tonight should be no different, but he’s itching to leave. 

Oikawa has only seen Hinata a handful of times since Halloween (they went trick-or-treating together with Takeru and Natsu), and he misses him. The spring high is just around the corner so there’s more practice, and he has to deal with university things, and - 

Well, neither of them have had any real time. 

He doesn’t bother socializing tonight, knowing he’s more irritable, and his parents keep nagging him to come downstairs. All he can think about is how Hinata isn’t at the party, how he hasn’t seen Hinata, how he knows Hinata is sitting at home with his family - 

_That’s it_ , he think, _I’ll just go see him._

He all but runs to the front entrance, throws on a coat and shoes, and heads off. 

It takes him a long while to get to Hinata’s house, and when he does he’s shivering from the cold and thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong from him turning up here - his parents will be furious, he wouldn’t be welcome in the home, maybe they’d get snowed in, there would be other people there who hate him, maybe Hinata doesn’t even want to see him. His worries melt away when Hinata opens the door, a giant ugly sweater resting on his shoulders and confused elation plastered on his face. 

“Tooru!” 

He throws himself into hugging Oikawa who gladly accepts the affection, letting himself relax. “What are you doing here?” Hinata asks, muffled into his chest. 

He’s worried again. “I didn’t really want to say at my family’s party. Is - is it okay that I’m here? I can go home.” 

Hinata pulls back and shakes his head violently, dragging him inside. “Mom, Tooru’s here for Christmas! “ 

“You didn’t say he was coming! I would have set out an extra space!” 

“I didn’t know!” 

Oikawa takes off his shoes and coat, feeling very overdressed (his parents insisted on semi-formal). Hinata’s mother welcome him with a warm smile and Natsu hugs his leg. 

“Can I get you anything Tooru? We already finished supper, but I can make you hot chocolate or tea.” 

“Hot chocolate would be great, thank you.” 

Hinata’s mother leaves to living room for the kitchen, and Hinata settles him down. “You can join the game after this round,” he says, nodding to the board game set up. 

They spend all evening laughing together. Oikawa has never seen a family so warm and cheerful and honestly glad to be around each other - his own loves each other, of course, but the atmosphere is something completely new to him. They welcome him and include him with ease. Oikawa has never seen Hinata so happy. 

Natsu is tucked away at around ten, and Oikawa is told to stay the night. Hinata’s mother retires around midnight, leaving the two of them to lock up the house. They end up sitting outside for a little while, wrapped in blankets and drinking the last of a pot of tea. 

Hinata snuggles into his side - a normal occurrence, but no less wanted. 

“I’m glad you came,” he says quietly, a small smile on his face. Oikawa hums and buries his face in his hair. 

“Of course.” 

“I missed you.” 

“So did I.” 

Hinata sets down his tea and climbs into Oikawa’s lap, kissing him softly. The intimacy startles him. “I missed you,” he repeats, stronger this time, and he now understands that Hinata means it in a deeper way. 

“I know. I missed you too.” 

Hinata’s kisses are desperate, urgent, and Oikawa is happy to comply. They cling to each other, more for closeness than warmth, for what seems like hours. Oikawa doesn’t know how he’ll stop until Hinata starts getting drowsy, sluggish, and they have to. 

“Let’s go to sleep,” he says affectionately. 

Hinata hums. “Merry Christmas, Tooru.” 

“Merry Christmas, Shouyou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is much better than the last one. i apologize for that embarrassment. and i even got someone to proofread this! nice! okay cool so yeah here you go i know it's more but enjoy a christmas fic. only about five chapters left!  
> next chapter is another holiday fic, im sorry. i'm trying to get to where i want to be as fast as possible and finish this. even though these few chapters are more for time progression, i hope you enjoy them!


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